EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION
Seven Things Students with Disabilities Should Do When Starting College By Eric Endlich, PhD STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES OFTEN HAVE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL AS WELL AS EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS. BUT TO FULFILL THAT POTENTIAL IN COLLEGE, THEY NEED TO PREPARE THEMSELVES ADEQUATELY BECAUSE THE TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL INVOLVES A HUGE INCREASE IN INDEPENDENCE.
Here are seven key strategies and mindsets that can help set students up for success.
1
GET AN EARLY START PLANNING YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS AND SERVICES
During the college search process, high school students should research what disability accommodations are available at each school, as well as what documentation the schools require. Susan Smythe, Americans with Disabilities Act Program Manager/Senior Project Manager at Swarthmore College, recommends students “reach out to the admissions and disability services offices at the schools you are interested in ahead of time to see what services they offer/how the campus is set up, and plan ahead. In addition, many students who may not have needed accommodations in high school start to struggle in college. Reach out early and register with the office, and at least have an initial intake/conversation—even if you feel you
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might not need it. Accommodations are never retroactive, so don’t wait until you’re really struggling to start the process.” Kelsey Bohlke, Assistant Director of the Office of Accessible Education at Agnes Scott College, likewise observes, “You’re going to be so much more successful if you proactively put supports in place (even if you never use them!) than waiting until an academic or mental health crisis occurs and you’re scrambling at the last minute.”
2
BE PREPARED TO ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF
“Once you get to college, you will be expected to self-advocate for essentially all of your needs,” Bohlke notes. “Whether it is to discuss a grade, find a counselor, or set up accommodations, the expectation is that you, the student, take the lead on all of this rather than a parent or teacher. An important precursor to being able to advocate for yourself is self-aware-
